Man guilty in sex case

“They all exercised great courage and strength in coming forward and having the fortitude and willingness to testify about such a personal issue. A lot of credit also needs to go Deputy Brenda Nowak and Sgt. Mike Brege of the Cheboygan County Sheriff's Department. They conducted a thorough investigation and assisted in ...

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Cheboygan Daily Tribune - Cheboygan, MI

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Posted Sep. 20, 2013 at 11:50 PM

Posted Sep. 20, 2013 at 11:50 PM

Cheboygan, Mich.

Staff report

CHEBOYGAN — A jury found a Cheboygan man guilty of two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct after a two-day trial this week.

Bernard Brasseur, 54, was alleged to have digitally penetrated two females who were under 13 years of age. A trial was conducted on Wednesday, Sept. 18 and Thursday, Sept. 19 in the 53rd Circuit Court.

According to Cheboygan County Prosecutor Daryl Vizina, the offenses occurred in the early 1990s and after an allegation involving a child, the two victims came forward.

After the defendant was charged, two additional females came forward indicating they too had been sexually assaulted by Brasseur as children. Those acts were barred from prosecution due to the statute of limitations, Vizina explained.

During the trial, all four of the females testified under oath as to the specific sexual acts Brasseur had performed years earlier, Vizina said. After the proofs concluded, the jury deliberated for approximately 48 minutes and returned with a guilty verdict on both charges.

The charge of criminal sexual conduct 1st degree carries a maximum life sentence. No sentencing date has been set as of yet. Upon a motion by Vizina, Brasseur's bond was revoked and he was taken into immediate custody of the Cheboygan County Jail.

"This was a great victory for the community but an even greater victory for the victims who all have been dealing with the hurt, the shame, and the trauma of Brasseur's acts," Vizina said.

"They all exercised great courage and strength in coming forward and having the fortitude and willingness to testify about such a personal issue. A lot of credit also needs to go Deputy Brenda Nowak and Sgt. Mike Brege of the Cheboygan County Sheriff's Department. They conducted a thorough investigation and assisted in preparing the evidence."

"If there's anything to come from this conviction besides the obvious, that adults cannot be committing sexual acts against children, it is that it's never to late to come forward with information involving crimes of this nature," Vizina added.